Yesterday I had a call from a guy who told me he had just bought a GT40 replica, unfinished project needing a fair amount of work, and asked for some advice. OK, so we begin talking about the purchase, he wants to build the car up for road use and to enjoy it with his other cars that he has fully restored, a Ferrari 308 and a Lotus twin cam Europa, and in passing he also mentioned he ownes and flies a Piper Cherokee that is kept not far from my home.
Nothing unusual here, he said he is a lawyer doing prosecution cases for local councils, and as such we found we had a lot in common and both know a lot of friends in the local government. He then sent me a set of photos by E mail of his GT40 purchase, and rang me later to discuss it further. The car is a Mark1 KVA, and he readily accepts that he has, as we agreed, bought a bit of a dog, but this is his passion, he's always wanted a GT40 and for a comparatively small sum has now got the two things he wanted, a GT40 and a project to get his teeth into . In starting to discuss various options for this project, including his proposed requirement to change the engine and gearbox among other things, he completley floored me by saying he should just stop and tell me one thing. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE IS COMPLETLEY AND TOTALLY BLIND, but that this did not really hinder is love and enjoyment in his cars and aeroplane, that he had driven the Ferrari at over 130 mph ( on a closed airfield runway ) and was currently rewiring his Europa instrument panel. HOW ? What was so impressive to me was his attitude that this is nothing special or extraordinary, it was just normal everyday living, enjoying the things we enjoy, having a life probably better and happier than most. This guy deserves and gets my utmost respect !
Nothing unusual here, he said he is a lawyer doing prosecution cases for local councils, and as such we found we had a lot in common and both know a lot of friends in the local government. He then sent me a set of photos by E mail of his GT40 purchase, and rang me later to discuss it further. The car is a Mark1 KVA, and he readily accepts that he has, as we agreed, bought a bit of a dog, but this is his passion, he's always wanted a GT40 and for a comparatively small sum has now got the two things he wanted, a GT40 and a project to get his teeth into . In starting to discuss various options for this project, including his proposed requirement to change the engine and gearbox among other things, he completley floored me by saying he should just stop and tell me one thing. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE IS COMPLETLEY AND TOTALLY BLIND, but that this did not really hinder is love and enjoyment in his cars and aeroplane, that he had driven the Ferrari at over 130 mph ( on a closed airfield runway ) and was currently rewiring his Europa instrument panel. HOW ? What was so impressive to me was his attitude that this is nothing special or extraordinary, it was just normal everyday living, enjoying the things we enjoy, having a life probably better and happier than most. This guy deserves and gets my utmost respect !